Oh, Cecina!

How does one prepare cecina? I bought a 1/4 kilo of cecina de res at a favorite carnicería. I was hoping to use it as a substitute for chipped beef, as in creamed chipped beef over biscuits.

I had the cecina in a plastic bag for a bit less than a week. When I opened the bag today, it smelled very strong and there were patches of dull, greenish mold in a few places. I cut away and discarded the seriously moldy spots.

Undeterred, I poured boiling water over half of it, adding a teaspoon of baking soda. What a rank smell! Ugh.

After about 15 minutes, I drained off that water, and poured on more boiling water, but without soda. Ugh.

I decided to pause there, and get some advice before proceeding.

So I ended up slivering two big slices of Wilson's Jamón Selva Negra into my cream sauce. It was pretty good, but now what to do? I have doubts remaining about using the cecina for any purpose. It is really pongy. I suspect that closing it up in a plastic bag was a mistake.

Re: [Anonimo] Oh, Cecina!

Number one rule of meat: if it smells, don't eat it. Whether it's fresh, dried, or partially dried, the only smell good meat should have is a faint fresh smell. Once it stinks, it's a goner, and the green mold definitely seals the deal. I've had to throw away my share of meat that I forgot in the bottom of the fridge. You know how it goes. Buy it, think of all the nice things you could make with it, forget about it, and discover it a week later in a slimy heap...just a day or two too late! I hope your cecina wasn't too expensive.

Preparing cecina? Fried, grilled, in tacos, served as a starter with queso fresco. There are lots of options. I like the taco idea myself. Things to accompany cecina with: avocado, nopal, green onion, onion, cheese, red salsa, and lime, of course. As you say, it would be great quickly pan-fried and served like chipped beef over biscuits. A little chopped pickled jalapeño gives it a Mexican twist.

Re: [Anonimo] Oh, Cecina!

I have never bought cecina, but I do routinely make my own beef jerky. I always plan to save it for making just such things as biscuit gravy or beef and scrambled eggs, but, alas, almost as soon as it dries thoroughly my family usually scarfs it down as is and there is nothing left to save for later dishes.

Personally, I am not really enamored of plastic bags for storage. They seem to breed mold and slimey-ness. They keep moisture in and for some foods that is not really a good thing, as you discovered with your cecina. My husband and our kids are all bad about bringing fresh produce home from the store and leaving them in the plastic baggies. They go from gorgeous to goo in a day (the veggies, that is). I suspect your meat was not dried thoroughly when you purchased it and the residual moisture was then trapped by the baggie. Hence the spoilage.

This is my quick and easy recipe for what my family calls "Mom's Damn Fine Jerky" if you want to try it.

Packages of very thin steaks for Milanesa, available at any carniceria

Spread the thin steaks on a clean work surface. Trim off any pieces of visible fat; with this cut of meat there probably won't be any. Sprinkle on dry seasonings and rub in a bit. Splash a little Worchestershire over all and rub again. Let set for a few minutes. Turn meat over and repeat. Dry over racks in a low oven, on a clothes line outdoors if your weather permits, or hang them over night high above a wood burning stove as I do. The key to preventing spoilage is making sure the steaks are absolutely dry. I then put mine in glass Mason jars or Legal instant coffee bottles, which happen to make very pretty containers with their bright red plastic lids. I have never had any problems with bad meat when prepared this way and it does not require refrigeration when properly dried.

Re: [Carron] Oh, Cecina!

BOY does this sound good, especially the woodsmoke version. I could put the anafre under the clothesline for smoking the hanging beef...assuming I could keep the cats off the counter for the first part of the recipe. *sigh*

Re: [esperanza] Oh, Cecina!

I, too, have a "gato de la cocina". I also have eight kitchen chickens who flutter in looking for scraps whenever they get a chance through the door and even a kitchen horse! At least the horse doesn't walk on the table top, though he would live inside if I would just let him.

Re: [Carron] Oh, Cecina!

I have never had cecina, not a Sinaloa thing I guess, but I saw it in Sam's the other day. I had thought cecina was dried, like Carron explains, but the Sam's meat was red and raw. Perhaps it is the cut that we should use to dry the meat. In this climate, I think it would mold before drying! Maybe people do it here, but I have not seen it.

Meanwhile, I went to the little puebla of El Quelite yesterday, where there is a wonderful restaurant, and ordered their machaca. (I almost always get the carnitas there, or the tongue or grilled quail, but I decided to get something else this time and I am so glad!) I brought half of the machaca home with me, and tonight made "roast beef" hash that was sooo excellent! That, of course, is a way to get back to Anonimo's topic. He wants to get some of the old flavors from "home," and I think that is fine. As for me, I really wanted some creamed chipped beef, and asked a friend to bring me a jar. Now, it is sitting in my cupboard, too precious to open!

Re: [MazDee] Oh, Cecina!

Creamed chipped beef???? Are you sure we're not in the "rather eat glass" thread...wakala...(that's how they spell it in the Barbarian North.) Sorry Anonimo and Maz Dee. I know, I know...one man's meat another's poison... Colibri1

Re: [Rolly] Oh, Cecina!

Obviously I have never served in the military. Can't stand Spam!! But I do like "creamed chipped beef" and I do know all the nasty names by which it is commonly known.

When my oldest daughter was a pre-schooler, I served it on toast for supper. Had her plate ready and on the table before I called her in to eat. She took one look and screamed "Mommy, somebody threw up on my toast!"

Re: [Anonimo] Oh, Cecina!

Like MazDee I haven't seen cecina offered for sale in the Mazatlan area other than as raw thin sliced meat, maybe ready to make a dried jerky meat type preparation. Just saying that machaca is the dried meat of choice here because of the northern Sonora influence I guess. I've seen a few recipes on the net for making dried machaca but what cut is the best, is there a particular recipe that works well and what would be the best for long term storage, closed jar, freezing, etc. We've had machaca everyway from melt in your mouth supurb to break your teeth gristle and I'm thinking diy might be the way to go.

Re: [Jetski] Oh, Cecina!

I always buy the thin cuts of meat for making "Milanesa de Res". I would guess it is from the round. It is almost paper-thin, has no fat or gristle, and dries quickly by whatever method is most convenient for you.

I have a couple of Mexican cookbooks which start with an entire roast and explain how you should cut the roast into one long strip before seasoning, re-folding, unfolding sometime later, and and finally hanging. Can't believe anyone other than a butcher could manage this complicated procedure. Just buy the Milanese.

Sounds like what some of you you are looking at may be the seasoned and re-folded (or re-rolled) raw beef for you to take home and dry.

Re: [Rolly] Oh, Cecina!

AGREE great breakfast. We used to be served (thrown) SOS as a white sauce with chopped hard-boiled eggs, sometimes peas, and chipped beef on toast or biskets. Good solid breakfast for all those guys with great metabolisms. Then having a good porcelin cup of java.